1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gold recovery and more particularly to an amalgamating apparatus for collecting gold dust or gold particles suspended in water.
In gold recovery by the sluice method gold ore, as from a stream bed, is passed with water over a plurality of different sized screen covered receptacles so that heavy and larger particles are removed from the ore and small particles fall by gravity with the water through the screens. In this method minute gold particles are maintained in suspension in the water and are normally lost.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 669,671 discloses a gravity amalgamator for separating gold particles from normally dry ore by the static head of a column of such ore through a housing forcing the ore through a bath of mercury. The column head may be increased when necessary by adding water. The heavier amalgamated mercury and gold settles by gravity to the bottom of a removable receptacle for recovery of the gold as by evaporating the mercury.
This invention is distinguished over the above patent by providing an upwardly and downwardly open housing into which a stream of water, containing gold in suspension, is moved by gravity from an elevated position in which the water flowing through the housing follows a tortuous path terminating adjacent the level of a bath of mercury contained by the depending limit of the housing. The mercury is substantially transversely divided by the walls forming the water path so that all water exiting the housing must pass through the mercury.